


Of Renewed Faith and Retail Therapy

by NicePumpkinSpice



Series: Of Sweet Memories and Guarded Moments [25]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-17 09:47:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3524636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicePumpkinSpice/pseuds/NicePumpkinSpice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Evelyn helps Leliana find Justinia's gift and its meaning.  Then the pair hit the stores for some retail therapy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Renewed Faith and Retail Therapy

Valence’s chantry was much quieter than Evelyn expected. Leliana assured her that their early arrival was the cause for it being so empty, but Evelyn thought a few sisters should be milling around by now. Leliana suggested they should begin their search in a small chapel off the main chantry. According to Leliana, the chapel was one of Justinia’s favorite places for contemplation when she served in Valence as Revered Mother. The chapel was small - little more than an art filled vestibule and a circular room with a brazier at its center. It was beautiful, though, with framed paintings depicting scenes from the Chant and Andraste’s life covering its walls. 

Just as Evelyn decided that they were truly alone, a solitary chantry sister appeared before them. “Natalie!” Leliana said with enthusiasm and hugged the woman. As Leliana continued to hug and greet the surprised sister, she subtly shook her head at Evelyn indicating something was amiss. Evelyn blinked her acknowledgement of the warning and meandered around the chapel acting as if she were perusing the art. In reality, she was checking whether others were lying in wait.

Leliana mentioned the purpose of their visit to Natalie who seemed quite interested in whatever Justinia might have left for her former Left Hand. As Leliana read the clues from the Divine’s letter and made seemingly idle conversation with Natalie, Evelyn wandered around the chapel trying to match Justinia’s clues to something in the room. 

_Always remember that faith sprung from a barren branch._

Evelyn found a picture of a white rose growing from a seemingly dead bush. She ran her fingers along the frame and placard locating a small switch. She flicked the switch and heard a grinding of gears. 

Leliana explained that she had served in a small chantry in Lothering at the start of the Blight. The time had been filled with fear and uncertainty, but her faith had been renewed when she saw a single rose blooming on a dead bush. “Life finds a way. The Maker hasn’t abandoned us.” 

_That light has no fear of darkness._

None of the pictures seemed to depict anything related to this clue. Evelyn was about to suggest that they try another part of the chantry when she saw a small switch on the brazier at the center of the room. Pressing the switch resulted in another mechanical groan.

Leliana looked at the brazier and the statue of Andraste that stood above the flames. “Doubt is easy. It takes faith to trust.” she whispered.

_Above all that strength lives in an open heart._

Evelyn pressed a button beneath a picture of Hessarian driving his sword through Andraste’s heart. Leliana wrily commented on the morbid and literal depiction of the clue. Then she added, “Justinia always said compassion was my greatest strength.” 

With the press of the final button, a triptych of Andraste that was at the far end of the chapel folded open and revealed a small altar with a single ivory and gold box atop it. Leliana moved like lightening pinning Natalie against a statue and holding a dagger to her throat. A small smile crossed Evelyn’s lips, she had wondered when Leliana would spring her trap.

With the knife held close enough to Natalie’s throat to cause her skin to crease, Leliana questioned the sister about her true purpose for being in Valence. Natalie was acting as an agent of a Grand Cleric that opposed the Inquisition. She dared Leliana to kill her saying that she was willing to die for her beliefs.

Evelyn was afraid Leliana might oblige Natalie’s request. She called out for Leliana to let the rival agent live. Leliana protested at first, but Evelyn stood firm. They were the Inquisition. One woman would not thwart them. Leliana relented and cautioned Natalie to warn her patron that the Inquisition would be coming and that she had a choice to make about her allegiances.

As Natalie ran out of the chantry, Evelyn and Leliana examined the box that Justinia had left for Leliana to find. “No, this can’t be it. There’s nothing here.” Leliana said with frustration and disappointment. Evelyn was equally flummoxed but reasoned, “It’s not what you expected. That doesn’t mean it’s nothing.” Leliana examined the box more closely and noticed a message carved into the lid. It said simply, “The Left Hand should lay down her burden.” 

Leliana seemed deeply moved. “She’s releasing me. The Divine has a long reach but it is always her Left Hand that stretches out. A thousand lies. A thousand deaths. Her commands but my conscience that bore the consequences.” Evelyn’s heart ached for the woman Leliana had been before her service to the Divine - the one she caught glimpses of as she told tales of the Hero of Fereldan. Perhaps that person was still there. 

Evelyn mentioned the Divine’s apology to Leliana in the Fade. “She said that she failed you. This is what she meant.” Leliana nodded her agreement. Justinia had used Leliana ruthlessly to maintain her position on the Sunburst Throne. Now Leliana knew that Justinia realized and regretted that choice. Evelyn hoped that would be a start for Leliana to find herself again. 

Evelyn encouraged Leliana to let that part of her life go along with her grief for Justinia. Inwardly, Evelyn was weighing the choices she had made as Inquisitor and asking herself if she, too, was guilty of using the spymaster. Since being named Inquisitor, she purposely avoided following Leliana’s most cutthroat suggestions but was that enough? Had she also allowed or encouraged Leliana to do things that she herself would have never considered? Evelyn hoped not. She wanted to be better than that. She wanted the Inquisition as a whole to retain moral integrity.

As if Leliana could hear Evelyn’s thoughts, she spoke. “I would have killed Natalie and called it a good thing. Thank you for showing me what was right, even when I couldn’t see it for myself. We can speak more of this at Skyhold.” The spymaster began to walk away.

“Leliana, wait!” Evelyn said a little too loudly for being inside a chantry. The former bard stopped, and Evelyn hurried over to her. “You said the Hero of Fereldan went shopping when things got overwhelming. If that’s the case, I think we’re both overdue for a day at the bazaar. Come on - it’ll be fun.”

Leliana looked at Evelyn suspiciously then a small grin appeared on her lips, “If that is the case, we’ll need to follow Solona’s rules for shopping. No discussing work. Gossiping about friends is mandatory. And... we stop at every shoe store.”

Evelyn laughed. “Agreed - although I wonder if you might have added that final rule.”

Leliana gave a small shrug and laced her arm through Evelyn’s. “So ... you and the Commander. What’s he like in bed? He’s athletic... that’s always good.” Evelyn’s eyes grew very wide, and Leliana began to giggle. “Look at you - turning redder than a chantry sister’s dress. Keep your secrets for now, but I’ll get details out of you some day.”

By early afternoon, Evelyn’s cheeks hurt from smiling, and her arms were full of bags and boxes. Solona Amell had been on to something with her stress relief regimen. Leliana was a fantastic bazaar buddy. She lived for fashion and bartered like someone from the Merchant’s Guild. Evelyn had gotten each of her advisors and companions a gift. Well, each of them except Cullen. 

Finding a present for Cullen was proving challenging. Outside of playing chess, Cullen didn’t have any hobbies as far as Evelyn knew. With his days spent looking over and responding to Inquisition reports, Cullen avoided pleasure reading. He was rarely out of uniform and preferred simple shirts and trousers when he was. He wore no jewelry except a gold necklace with a small medallion of Andraste. He did have an insatiable sweet tooth, but Evelyn had already given him cookies once. She was about to give up and go with the trite option of buying herself lingerie for him to unwrap when she spotted an artist painting at a small booth. She finally had an idea for a present for Cullen.

Several hours later, Evelyn held the newly finished painting while thanking the artist profusely. The picture was small enough to sit on Cullen’s desk, but not so minute for the details to be obscured. She was sure he would love it, but to be on the safe side she bought some lacy underthings for herself as a backup. 

After a trip to an apothecary for sleeping draughts and anti-nausea remedies in preparation for the return voyage, Evelyn and Leliana went to the inn for one more night before they began the journey home. Evelyn wrapped each gift and wrote a small note for each of her friends. Then she meticulously placed them in a chest for the trip to Skyhold. 

*********************

When Evelyn made it to Skyhold over a week later, she slipped into the keep largely unnoticed. Typically the guards would blow a horn announcing her arrival, but she ordered them to stay quiet. Evelyn pulled a hooded cloak over her head and headed into the main keep through the servant’s passages that laced through the lower levels. Once inside the keep, she lowered the hood, so the guards wouldn’t accost her. She traveled up the rickety stairs that led from the servant’s quarters to her own while making a mental note to ask Gatsi to shore them up more. Some of Leliana’s ravens had nested in the scaffolding and cawed their welcome as Evelyn passed by their perch.

Once in her room, Evelyn used magic to summon water to fill her bathtub and heated it with a fire enchantment. Being a mage meant that she never needed to ask for someone to draw her bath, and she liked that she could wash as often as she desired without inconveniencing a servant with lugging and heating water. Evelyn sunk into the hot water and let out a satisfied sigh. It felt so good to be home.

Evelyn had made the water just shy of scalding and her skin below the waterline turned a bright red. She loved how the heat would seep into her joints and muscles. If she hadn’t wanted to see Cullen so desperately, she would have stayed in the tub until the water grew cold. But she did want to see him, so she popped out of the tub once she had scrubbed herself clean and dressed quickly.

She picked a yellow robe with a sweetheart neckline and green floral details along the hem. In one of his more passionate moments, Cullen had confessed that he liked it when she wore robes because of the “easy access” they provided. She blushed a bit at the thought, but then elected to not pull on underwear. That would provide him with a nice surprise when he invariably ran his hand underneath her dress. She’d save the lingerie she had bought in Valence for another time.

Looking in the mirror, she pondered how to wear her hair. She knew that he preferred it down and loose, but she liked to keep it out of her way. Opting for a compromise, she braided the strands nearest to her face and then left the back to hang in waves. Evelyn added a touch of rouge and some lip balm, but she decided to skip eye makeup. She rubbed her eyes often, and eye shadow usually ended up as much beneath her eyes as above. 

Evelyn glanced out her balcony. The sun was just beginning to go down. Cullen would likely be returning to his office to hear evening reports from his officers. He _should_ take supper, Evelyn thought, but she knew that he rarely ate an evening meal unless she brought it to him. Placing Cullen’s painting under her arm, she decided to grab a tray of food from the kitchens and then head to Cullen’s office.

If she wanted to surprise Cullen, Evelyn had to hurry. People would be commenting on her arrival by now. In the kitchen, the cook’s assistant gladly made a tray of food. “Well met, Your Worship. Been taking an evening tray to the Commander for you when Cook will let me. He don’t take care of himself, that one.”

**Author's Note:**

> Still at the beach with spotty internet connectivity. The weather is great, and I've found some beautiful shells. I hope to return to a more regular writing schedule next week.
> 
> I had to steal the little bit of dialogue from DAO about Leliana pressing for details about her friend's romance. I remember laughing so hard when she started to question my femCousland about Alistair's prowess and then Alistair bumbling in on the conversation.


End file.
